Safety device for a tank turret weapon

ABSTRACT

A safety device for a tank turret weapon is placed adjacent to the weapon catch and has a pivotable cartridge feed supported adjacent to the weapon for supplying the cartridges. Pivot means move the cartridge feed from the weapon so that the cartridge feed assumes two positions. One position is removed from weapon catch providing for a safety mode. The other position places the cartridge adjacent to the weapon catch providing for a firing mode. Means are placed in the tank turret interior for moving the pivot means so that the operability of the safety device is apparent from visual inspection.

United States Patent Uhl et a1. Feb. 18, 1975 SAFETY DEVICE FOR A TANK TURRET 3,452,640 7/1969 Maillard 89/33 SF 3,455,204 7/1969 Stoner.., 89/33 SF WEAPON lnventors: Siegfried Uhl; August Schiele, both of Augsburg, Germany Keller & Knappich Augsburg Zweigneiderlassung der Industrie-Werke Karlsruhe Augsburg Aktiengesellschaft, Augsburg, Germany Filed: Apr. 11, 1973 Appl. No.: 350,288

Assignee:

Foreign Application Priority Data May 3, 1972 Germany 2221539 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1967 Fammler et a1 89/36 K Primary E.raminer-Stephen C. Bentley Attorney, Agent, or FirmAllison C. Collard [57] ABSTRACT A safety device for a tank turret weapon is placed adjacent to the weapon catch and has a pivotable cartridge feed supported adjacent to the weapon for supplying the cartridges. Pivot means move the cartridge feed from the weapon so that the cartridge feed assumes two positions. One position is removed from weapon catch providing for a safety mode. The other position places the cartridge adjacent to the weapon catch providing for a firing mode. Means are placed in the tank turret interior for moving the pivot means so that the operability of the safety device is apparent from visual inspection.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTED "3.866514 SAFETY DEVICE FOR A TANK TURRET WEAPON This invention relates to a gun mount having a safety device used on self propelled fire weapons, and more particularly to gun mounts for rapid fire cannons in tank turrets. The invention comprises a movable cartridge belt supplier which is controlled from the weapon. The cartridges move from the mouth of the belt supplier into the side of the weapon and from there into the advance path of the weapon catch or breech.

In self-propelled weapons it is customary to supply each weapon with a safety catch. However, safety catches are subjected to wear. Often times they become only marginally useful. Eventually many of these safety catches cease to function. Owing to vehicle percussions and jarrings, often times the advance catch or breach accidentally fires a cartridge which was supplied to the weapon from the cartridge belt. Regular inspection of the weapon will not always prevent breakdown of the safety switch. Consequently, in order to prevent an accidental firing, the cartridges would have to be removed from the cartridge belt supplier. However, this would substantially reduce the combat readiness of the weapon.

The present invention provides an additional safety device on the gun mount of a tank turret to prevent accidental firing of the weapon. According to the invention, the additional safety device operates independently from safety devices already supplied with the weapon. The inventive safety device is simple in its construction and can be inspected at a glance. In the inventive device the cartridge belt supplier is supported within the swivel ring of a milled mantlet. The milled mantlet carries the weapon. On the side of the weapon, where the cartridge belt supplier enters, the supplier is retractable so that the cartridge may be removed from the advanced path of the weapon catch or breech. Thus, in this removed position, an unwanted triggering of the catch or breech will not cause accidental firing of the weapon.

The position of the cartridge belt supplier with respect to the weapon is easily noticed. consequently the effectiveness of the inventive safety device is readily apparent.

In one embodiment of the invention retraction of the cartridge belt supplier from the weapon, and advancement of the cartridge belt supplier to firing position with the weapon, is effected by mounting the cartridge belt supplier on a slidable support. The movable support may be held in firing position at the extreme of its travel by a plurality of pivot means. This increases the operational safety of the device. The increased safety results from the fixed nature of the pivot travel discussed herein. Moreover, the pivot travel is not subject to wear thereby preventing the cartridge belt supplier from accidentally moving from a safety position to a firing position drawings are designed for the purposes of illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention for which reference should be made to the appended claims.

In the drawings wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section of the inventive apparatus taken through a tank vehicle and is lateral to the axis of the weapon bore and shows the cartridge belt supplier in firing position;

FIG. 2 is a portion of FIG. 1 showing the cartridge belt supplier in a safety position; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a tank vehicle showing placement of the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2.

Referring now to the drawings, a milled mantlet 3 is mounted in roller bearing rings 2. A self-propelled weapon 4 is mounted longitudinally and movable in a support 5 connected to milled mantlet 3. Cartridges 6 are supplied from ammunition boxes (not shown) to weapon 4 by means of a cartridge belt supplier 7. Cartridges 6 advance towards weapon catch or breech 9 from a mouth 8 of cartridge belt supplier 7. Subsequent operations necessary to fire the weapon are automatically controlled by the weapon sequencing apparatus. This automatic firing apparatus is well known and is therefore not shown. Accidental firing of the cartridge in catch 9 can occur if the other safety catch (not shown) breaks down.

To prevent accidental firing according to the inventive design, cartridge belt supplier 7 is held in a movable support 10. Support 10 can be moved by means of pivot arms 11 and 11. Pivot arms 11 and 11 rotate about pivot axes 12 which are fixedly mounted on milled mantlet 3. Thus, the cartridge belt supplier is retractable from weapon 4. When supplier 7 is retracted to a safety position, a safety catch failure (of the other mechanism) triggering catch or breech 9 will not fire the ammunition. Firing cannot occur since retraction of supplier 7 has removed the cartridges from the weapon advance path.

Retraction of support 10 and cartridge belt supplier 7 from weapon 4 results from movement of a hand lever 13. Movement of lever 13 is transmitted by a bowden pull wire 14. Pull wire 14 is coupled to a power arm 15 of pivot lever 11. As seen in FIG. 1, the outside jacket ends of pull wire 14 connect to the turret interior at 14a and 14b. Pivot lever 11 and 11' is connected to support 10. Retraction of cartridge belt supplier 7 from the firing mode (position F of hand lever 13) to the safety mode (position S of hand lever 13 and the dashline position of levers ll, 11' and 15) causes pivot levers 11 and 11' to commute between two travel extremes. One extreme is the safety position, the other is the firing position. In either extreme, the weight of cartridge belt supplier 7 acts through an effective distance arm (not indicated) about bearing 12 creating a force for inducing belt supplier 7 to remain at either extreme. Thus, the position of cartridge belt supplier 7 is fixed by an annular shoulder 16 on support 10 abuting against a side wall 17 of milled mantlet 3. The overlap of annular collar 16 against side wall 17 is covered by a flexible collar 18 as shown in FIG. 1. This pivoting action assures against accidental movement of cartridge belt supplier 7 from one position to another.

The supply of cartridges from the side, as mentioned previously, need not be limited to the left as shown. The cartridges may be introduced into the weapon in any direction. The cartridges may be introduced from below, from above and from the right depending on space available in a direction lateral to the advance direction of the weapon catch or breech What is claimed is: l. A safety device for a tank turret weapon placed adjacent to the weapon catch and comprising:

a cartridge feed to supply cartridges to said weapon catch; a movable support holding said cartridge feed; said movable support being pivotally mounted on the carriage of said weapon and separately from said weapon; and pivot operating means (for moving said movable support and said cartridge feed in single movements toward and away from said weapon) having an arm extending from and placed within the tank turret, a plurality of levers pivotably coupling said movable support to said arm, and means for rotating at least one of said levers so that said cartridge feed is alternatively located in two positions, a first position removed from said weapon catch providing for a safety mode, and a second position adjacent to said weapon catch providing for a firing mode. 2. The safety device as recited in claim 1, wherein said movable support further comprises:

said means for rotating at least one of said levers comprises:

a handle pivoted within the tank turret; and

a pull wire coupling said handle with at least one of said levers so that rotating said lever causes said movable support to alternatively assume the two positions.

4. The safety device as recited in claim 2, wherein said means for coupling comprises a flexible collar attached to a portion of the tank turret interior for engaging said annular shoulder in the firing mode. 

1. A safety device for a tank turret weapon placed adjacent to the weapon catch and comprising: a cartridge feed to supply cartridges to said weapon catch; a movable support holding said cartridge feed; said movable support being pivotally mounted on the carriage of said weapon and separately from said weapon; and pivot operating means (for moving said movable support and said cartridge feed in single movements toward and away from said weapon) having an arm extending from and placed within the tank turret, a plurality of levers pivotably coupling said movable support to said arm, and means for rotating at least one of said levers so that said cartridge feed is alternatively located in two positions, a first position removed from said weapon catch providing for a safety mode, and a second position adjacent to said weapon catch providing for a firing mode.
 2. The safety device as recited in claim 1, wherein said movable support further comprises: an annular shoulder disposed about said movable support and positioned thereon so that said means for rotating at least one of said levers causes said movable support to position said cartridge feed adjacent to the weapon catch as said annular shoulder abuts against a portion of the tank turret interior so that the weight of said movable support acts about said plurality of levers tending to keep said movable support in the firing mode; and means for coupling said annular shoulder against the tank turret interior.
 3. The safety device as recited in claim 1, wherein said means for rotating at least one of said levers comprises: a handle pivoted within the tank turret; and a pull wire coupling said handle with at least one of said levers so that rotating said lever causes said movable support to alternatively assume the two positions.
 4. The safety device as recited in claim 2, wherein said means for coupling comprises a flexible collar attached to a portion of the tank turret interior for engaging said annular shoulder in the firing mode. 